Trophies for Mental Health III

[Beyondthegrave07]

10 minutes ago, DatZoolander said:

Do I donate to charities such as this?  Yes, but I don't feel the need to post that or pat myself on the back.

And just for full disclosure, I don't host these to inflate my ego. I'm going to donate to these charities regardless of whether or not I did it as an event because these are things that I personally care about a lot.

 

In fact, last October, I was going to skip hosting Trophies to Fight Cancer, but @kindajustin (you did great btw) picked it up after I said that I going to skip the year and just donate due to mental exhaustion at work. It just goes to show how important these events are to others or become to others.

 

As you mentioned, these events do more than just help a charity. The purpose of these is to bring us together for something we can relate to and something we all care about. I'm truly glad other's pick up on this. It's what really makes events like this special. Allows us to really get to know each other past the computer screen.

 

And if this is not your thing, cool. But I hope it inspires others to host events for causes they care about and see that playing games and hunting trophies can bring us together for a good cause.

 

Anyways, that's enough soapboxing. Thanks for joining!

[DatZoolander]

6 minutes ago, Beyondthegrave07 said:

And just for full disclosure, I don't host these to inflate my ego. I'm going to donate to these charities regardless of whether or not I did it as an event because these are things that I personally care about a lot.

For clarification, my comment regarding how I and others donate to charities was directed to the original sour poster on Page 1.  

[Beyondthegrave07]

4 minutes ago, DatZoolander said:

For clarification, my comment regarding how I and others donate to charities was directed to the original sour poster on Page 1.  

I figured as much. Haha. A little clarification never hurt anyone!

[DJ__Beatroot]

I've been debating for a week about joining this event due to the content of the games we would be playing, and reminding us just how fragile the human mind really is.  But this is for a good cause and a reminder not to be too harsh when judging the actions of others. Maybe they just need help or someone to listen.  

 

So, of course I will join.  My game will be:

 

Lost Words: Beyond the page.  Seeing a character struggling with self-esteem and confidence, and spiraling into depression. Just think back of when you first started attending school and discovered peer-pressure, and the interactions of others.  

 

Bonus game will probably be Never Alone. What fun to run through the snow with a companion?

 

Looking over the games from my profile I would suggest:

 

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Erica

Journey

[Beyondthegrave07]

43 minutes ago, DJ__Beatroot said:

I've been debating for a week about joining this event due to the content of the games we would be playing, and reminding us just how fragile the human mind really is.  But this is for a good cause and a reminder not to be too harsh when judging the actions of others. Maybe they just need help or someone to listen.  

 

So, of course I will join.  My game will be:

 

Lost Words: Beyond the page.  Seeing a character struggling with self-esteem and confidence, and spiraling into depression. Just think back of when you first started attending school and discovered peer-pressure, and the interactions of others.  

 

Bonus game will probably be Never Alone. What fun to run through the snow with a companion?

 

Looking over the games from my profile I would suggest:

 

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Erica

Journey

 

They don't have to be super in your face to work for the event. I would take games that help overall mental wellness like Tetris Effect, Abzu, or Flower. I would also take games that just have elements of mental health like Tales of Arise, Final Fantasy 7, Detroit: Become Human, or pretty much the entire Persona series. Are they a little more difficult to explain and talk about? Yes, but they all 100% work if you can identify those elements and explain them well.

[Dav9834]

3 hours ago, Beyondthegrave07 said:

And just for full disclosure, I don't host these to inflate my ego. I'm going to donate to these charities regardless of whether or not I did it as an event because these are things that I personally care about a lot.

 

In fact, last October, I was going to skip hosting Trophies to Fight Cancer, but @kindajustin (you did great btw) picked it up after I said that I going to skip the year and just donate due to mental exhaustion at work. It just goes to show how important these events are to others or become to others.

 

As you mentioned, these events do more than just help a charity. The purpose of these is to bring us together for something we can relate to and something we all care about. I'm truly glad other's pick up on this. It's what really makes events like this special. Allows us to really get to know each other past the computer screen.

 

And if this is not your thing, cool. But I hope it inspires others to host events for causes they care about and see that playing games and hunting trophies can bring us together for a good cause.

 

Anyways, that's enough soapboxing. Thanks for joining!

Nobody needs to donate to charity

Just donate to me the source lol

 

I and others that suffer from mental illness really appreciate these events. 

I wish I could take part, but it's too much pressure now, and the games probably wouldn't be ok for me

(although I enjoyed doki doki literature club if that counts) 

 

Ty to everyone taking part

[Sylvanticore]

@Beyondthegrave07

 

Sorry to bother you but any thoughts on the game I suggested in my last post?

[Beyondthegrave07]

2 hours ago, Sylvanticore said:

@Beyondthegrave07

 

Sorry to bother you but any thoughts on the game I suggested in my last post?

Yes, it works. Just be sure to explain it with your own words and thoughts after you finish the game. I think there's definitely a mental health aspect that you can view the game from based on what you provided.

[Platinum_Vice]

Hopefully this event starts to take off!

 

 

I have recently finished Disco Elysium. It displays a deeply intimate understanding of nihilism and depression. I have found that I struggle to engage with many other games that are based on mental health issues but Disco Elysium is so mature and well-rounded that I found myself genuinely empathising with the main character (a rare feat, unfortunately!)

 

It is a role-playing game that has no combat; your journey is 'switchboarded' based on how your character connects to the world around him and there's significant variety in how every player will make progress from a dialogue standpoint. My journey in this game was one of honour-based redemption as I assisted the playable character towards sobriety and hope. I found it deeply cathartic. The vehicle/framework for this character journey takes place in the form of a murder mystery in a wartorn and destitute city. If any of this interests you, consider reading a more in-depth review that I wrote for it, HOWEVER...

 

... while I recommend players experience it in general (especially those seeking a game where you can have genuine agency with a depressed playable character), I don't necessarily recommend it for this event this year. This is because this event requires a full trophy completion for the primary game (I think?) Although - it does feature A LOT of running around outside which would make it perfect for  a secondary game!!!

 

For my secondary game I've been enjoying Elden Ring and have been riding my fat yak across the Lands Between. 

 

 

Stay strong folks! Make sure you seek professional help in emergencies, seek support from friends and family in between, and never stop building on that internal power and drive. Don't forget to #GoOutside!!

 

 

 

 

[kindajustin]

11 hours ago, Beyondthegrave07 said:

And just for full disclosure, I don't host these to inflate my ego. I'm going to donate to these charities regardless of whether or not I did it as an event because these are things that I personally care about a lot.

 

In fact, last October, I was going to skip hosting Trophies to Fight Cancer, but @kindajustin (you did great btw) picked it up after I said that I going to skip the year and just donate due to mental exhaustion at work. It just goes to show how important these events are to others or become to others.

 

As you mentioned, these events do more than just help a charity. The purpose of these is to bring us together for something we can relate to and something we all care about. I'm truly glad other's pick up on this. It's what really makes events like this special. Allows us to really get to know each other past the computer screen.

 

And if this is not your thing, cool. But I hope it inspires others to host events for causes they care about and see that playing games and hunting trophies can bring us together for a good cause.

 

Anyways, that's enough soapboxing. Thanks for joining!

 

I don't want to carry this tangent on much further, but for my part, I only hosted the event last year because it seemed like something people wanted to have and no one else was immediately available to host it. My initial assumption was that someone else would surely handle it, and I would offer assistance if they needed any. When that didn't exactly happen, I took it upon myself because it is important to me and I was confident it was important to others as well. I was right about that.

 

These events are a source of positivity to a lot of people, and I don't really think they're a bad thing when you look at it like this. Virtually everyone here is here because we're a trophy hunter or a gamer to some extent. We're already gonna play games and hunt trophies with or without these events. If something like this can come along once in a while and turn my trophy hunting into something more positive or meaningful for a few weeks, that's a good thing to me. So that was my motivation, I guess.

 

Anyways, I have Demon's Souls, Death end re;Quest, and Journey in my current rotation of games. With all of the themes I have to work with across those 3 games, I think I can hit both requirements.

[Yuber6969]

Thanks for doing this again @Beyondthegrave07, and thanks @Briste and @Starrk_01!

 

I've been working on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and I think it would work because a character suffers from PTSD. I hope I'll be able to finish it in time, but I worry because I've been busy lately (and honestly, the game is kicking my ass lol).

 

 

 

We don't need to do the DLC trophies, right?

 

Games on my profile that I would recommend for this:

 

Claire: The game is extremely short and if I mentioned why it counts, it would spoil the plot. But trust me, it counts.

 

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!: Since the game already spoils this with a trigger warning at the start (trigger warning = spoiler IMO): the game deals with suicide.

 

One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows: One of the main characters is anhedonic (inability to feel pleasure/happiness). The anime centralizes on that.

 

The Caligula Effect: Overdose: Every single character is dealing with some kind of trauma. Same goes for the sequel.

[Dav9834]

3 hours ago, Yuber6969 said:

 

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!: Since the game already spoils this with a trigger warning at the start (trigger warning = spoiler IMO): the game deals with suicide.

 

 

 

If anyone plays it, please don't skip through the side stories, or any of the game, it's really good

[pelagia14]

Oh wow, I'd love to join this Community Event!

 

@Beyondthegrave07 Are you still looking for someone to make badges for the event? If so, I'd be happy to help out with that!

 

Why this event means a lot to me:

I've struggled with anxiety and depression for at least a decade. Where I live in the American Midwest there are not a lot of mental health services or providers. My region basically has one big medical group that has a monopoly on mental health services outside of private practitioners. After trying *eight* different antidepressants with 'meh' results, I had to advocate to try a non-medication treatment that the medical group themselves offer. ?

 

Over the past two years, with the help of an amazing (private practice) therapist, I've come to realize that I'm probably undiagnosed inattentive or combined ADHD. I had to wait 10 months to do a general 'mental health test' last summer through the medical monopoly place (even though I just wanted testing for ADHD), and that whole experience was a clusterfuck and highly unprofessional. Afterwards, my therapist suggested I go somewhere specializing in ADHD to get tested (since uh.... medical monopoly place also used some quite outdated testing instruments...), and we found a much better place. Made my appointment in November 2022 (time blindness oops)... and the testing is going to be in October 2023. Only 5 more months to wait at this point, so yay?

 

Why do I bring this up?

Certainly a lot of people have depression and anxiety due to socioeconomic reasons and other factors outside themselves. Heck, I have some financial trauma from childhood that I still need to work on unpacking. At the same time, there are many people who have biochemical/neurological factors that impact their mental health. I can't speak for other countries, but the American health system criminally underfunds mental health services, and we are in desperate need of more mental health providers. I'm fortunate to have a spouse with a stable financial situation that has allowed me to pursue therapy and treatments I couldn't afford during the many years when I was single. But it's frustrating to know that the progress I've made in the past 18 months with my mental health - and the potential future progress after I (hopefully) get a confirmation on diagnosis - could have happened a lot faster if the wait time for getting services wasn't so astronomically long, thus drastically shortening the amount of time where life felt like it was just on 'pause' for me.

 

I also love that this event doesn't just focus on a numerical donation, but also on having all its participants reflect on mental health and perhaps increase their understanding/empathy/awareness of mental health issues that people face. It actually puts the "awareness" in Mental Health Awareness, versus just spreading awareness of those words! ?

 

For my fellow gamers struggling with mental health:

You've probably heard this a hundred times already, but if you are able to afford therapy and haven't tried it, I really recommend that you do. If you aren't sure if you can afford therapy, while a lot of private therapists don't accept insurance, some do! And many therapists also offer a sliding payment scale based on your income, whether or not you have health insurance (at least in the US). I thought that I was "getting by" in life and that my mental health wasn't "bad enough" for therapy. I'm also decently well-read on general mental health advice, and didn't see how I could learn very much in therapy that would help me personally.

 

Instead, my therapist helped me to identify illogical and/or negative thinking patterns, find ways to apply CBT in a manner that worked for me, and per above helped me to realize that my depression and anxiety were potential side effects of being neurodivergent trying to live by neurotypical standards and expectations. You might have to try a few therapists before you find one that you click with (she was the second one I went to), plus the first 2-3 sessions might not feel super helpful because you need to build some rapport and trust - and they need to get to know you. But it is truly helpful if you stick with it! I'm happy to answer any questions about my experiences with therapy via PM (whether you are an event participant or just a lurker/supporter in heart).

 

Games I Recommend From My List For Part 1 - Game Exploring Mental Health/Illness:

• Journey (The game's journey can definitely be read as a metaphor for long-term struggle with depression, I 100% agree with what @Platinum_Vice said. However, the game itself is one of the most positive and uplifting videogame experiences I have ever had - especially with Auston Wintory's soundtrack - so it is a great choice for someone who is looking to avoid darker themes right now. Trophy list does not have a platinum, but there are a few co-op ones.)
• Gris (The entire game is a beautiful metaphor for the 5 Stages of Grief. It's also a really easy platinum to get in about 5 hours, or less if you skip a blind run.)
• Night in the Woods (I'll be vague to avoid spoilers, but many of the game's characters struggle with mental health in one way or another - whether they are a main character or an NPC that you talk to a couple of times. A lot of the game's dialogue is kind of goofy and quirky, but then there are moments where shit gets serious for a moment, and the dialogue feels so natural and realistic).

Games I Recommend From My List for Part 2 - Outdoors Bonus Theme:

• Abzû (A very serene, almost meditative experience, of underwater exploration as a scuba-diver. The environments also have beautiful lighting, so I didn't struggle with my mild videogame-specific thalassophobia.)
• PowerWash Simulator (Perhaps an odd choice, but you powerwash stuff mostly in outdoor environments. ? I found it very calming and also somewhat meditative at times, with the repetitious gameplay that is simple but has surprising depth to its mechanics for what it is. Probably a good 40 hours to platinum, for those who care about that.)
• Toem (You have a camera, and you take photos of things - outdoors - to help people out as you slowly make your way to your end destination. I normally love lots of color in my games, but the black and white aesthetic was perfect for this game. A cute and quirky game.)
• Firewatch (You get to walk around a national state park as you keep an eye out for forest fires. You slowly learn about what brought your character to the wilderness for the summer as he talks with his radio operator and they slowly learn about each other. A mystery eventually emerges as well.)

My Games to Play:

 

Part 1 - Exploration of Mental Health/Illness:

 

This is kind of tough since people have already recommended several games from my backlog, haha. (Celeste, Chicory, Detroit: Become Human, Disco Elysium, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Life is Strange: True Colors, Oxenfree, Returnal, & What Remains of Edith Finch).

 

Ideally, I'd like a game that really digs into the mental health or mental illness aspect with some nuance either via narrative or via game mechanic. I'm kind of intrigued at using Returnal, since I wasn't aware that it was a good candidate for this event. Cassylvania's recent review of Detroit: Become Human has renewed my wanting to play that game as well. Then Disco Elysium is another thought, but part of me wants to try to pick a game that isn't already going to have a write-up done on it. Later tonight or tomorrow I'll go through the previous two years and see if anything from my backlog hasn't already been done (and save me from some indecisiveness, lmao).

 

Part 2 - Outdoors Bonus Theme:

 

I recently downloaded Sable onto my PS5 to tackle for another event. Since exploration seems to be a big aspect of the game I've kept myself mostly blind to it, but I know that the sand-gliding traversal mechanic is supposed to be a big part of the gameplay. If anyone who's played the game already can confirm that it would work for the bonus theme, that would be wonderful! If it would be a bit of a stretch, then please let me know, as I have many games in my backlog to pick from. ?

Edited May 8, 2023 by pelagia14

[Beyondthegrave07]

10 minutes ago, pelagia14 said:

Oh wow, I'd love to join this Community Event!

 

@Beyondthegrave07 Are you still looking for someone to make badges for the event? If so, I'd be happy to help out with that!

 

Why this event means a lot to me:

I've struggled with anxiety and depression for at least a decade. Where I live in the American Midwest there are not a lot of mental health services or providers. My region basically has one big medical group that has a monopoly on mental health services outside of private practitioners. After trying *eight* different antidepressants with 'meh' results, I had to advocate to try a non-medication treatment that the medical group themselves offer.

 

Over the past two years, with the help of an amazing (private practice) therapist, I've come to realize that I'm probably undiagnosed inattentive or combined ADHD. I had to wait 10 months to do a general 'mental health test' last summer through them (even though I just wanted testing for ADHD), and that whole experience was a clusterfuck and highly unprofessional. Afterwards, my therapist suggested I go somewhere specializing in ADHD to get tested (since uh.... medical monopoly place also used some quite outdated testing instruments...), and we found a much better place. Made my appointment in November 2022 (time blindness oops)... and the testing is going to be in October 2023. Only 5 more months to wait at this point, so yay?

 

Why do I bring this up?

Certainly a lot of people have depression and anxiety due to socioeconomic reasons and other factors outside themselves. Heck, I have some financial trauma from childhood that I still need to work on unpacking. At the same time, there are many people who have biochemical/neurological factors that impact their mental health. I can't speak for other countries, but the American health system criminally underfunds mental health services, and we are in desperate need of more mental health providers. I'm fortunate to have a spouse with a stable financial situation that has allowed me to pursue therapy and treatments I couldn't afford during the many years when I was single. But it's frustrating to know that the progress I've made in the past 18 months with my mental health - and the potential future progress after I (hopefully) get a confirmation on diagnosis - could have happened a lot faster if the wait time for getting services wasn't so astronomically long, thus drastically shortening the amount of time where life felt like it was just on 'pause' for me.

 

I also love that this event doesn't just focus on a numerical donation, but also on having all its participants reflect on mental health and perhaps increase their understanding/empathy/awareness of mental health issues that people face. It actually puts the "awareness" in Mental Health Awareness, versus just spreading awareness of those words!

 

For my fellow gamers struggling with mental health:

You've probably heard this a hundred times already, but if you are able to afford therapy and haven't tried it, I really recommend that you do. If you aren't sure if you can afford therapy, while a lot of private therapists don't accept insurance, some do! And many therapists also offer a sliding payment scale based on your income, whether or not you have health insurance (at least in the US). I thought that I was "getting by" in life and that my mental health wasn't "bad enough" for therapy. I'm also decently well-read on general mental health advice, and didn't see how I could learn very much in therapy that would help me personally.

 

Instead, my therapist helped me to identify illogical and/or negative thinking patterns, find ways to apply CBT in a manner that worked for me, and per above helped me to realize that my depression and anxiety were potential side effects of being neurodivergent trying to live by neurotypical standards and expectations. You might have to try a few therapists before you find one that you click with (she was the second one I went to), plus the first 2-3 sessions might not feel super helpful because you need to build some rapport and trust - and they need to get to know you. But it is truly helpful if you stick with it! I'm happy to answer any questions about my experiences with therapy via PM (whether you are an event participant or just a lurker/supporter in heart).

 

Games I Recommend From My List For Part 1 - Game Exploring Mental Health/Illness:

• Journey (The game's journey can definitely be read as a metaphor for long-term struggle with depression, I 100% agree with what @Platinum_Vice said. However, the game itself is one of the most positive and uplifting videogame experiences I have ever had - especially with Auston Wintory's soundtrack - so it is a great choice for someone who is looking to avoid darker themes right now. Trophy list does not have a platinum, but there are a few co-op ones.)
• Gris (The entire game is a beautiful metaphor for the 5 Stages of Grief. It's also a really easy platinum to get in about 5 hours, or less if you skip a blind run.)
• Night in the Woods (I'll be vague to avoid spoilers, but many of the game's characters struggle with mental health in one way or another - whether they are a main character or an NPC that you talk to a couple of times. A lot of the game's dialogue is kind of goofy and quirky, but then there are moments where shit gets serious for a moment, and the dialogue feels so natural and realistic).

Games I Recommend From My List for Part 2 - Outdoors Bonus Theme:

• Abzû (A very serene, almost meditative experience, of underwater exploration as a scuba-diver. The environments also have beautiful lighting, so I didn't struggle with my mild videogame-specific thalassophobia.)
• PowerWash Simulator (Perhaps an odd choice, but you powerwash stuff mostly in outdoor environments. I found it very calming and also somewhat meditative at times, with the repetitious gameplay that is simple but has surprising depth to its mechanics for what it is. Probably a good 40 hours to platinum, for those who care about that.)
• Toem (You have a camera, and you take photos of things - outdoors - to help people out as you slowly make your way to your end destination. I normally love lots of color in my games, but the black and white aesthetic was perfect for this game. A cute and quirky game.)
• Firewatch (You get to walk around a national state park as you keep an eye out for forest fires. You slowly learn about what brought your character to the wilderness for the summer as he talks with his radio operator and they slowly learn about each other. A mystery eventually emerges as well.)

My Games to Play:

 

Part 1 - Exploration of Mental Health/Illness:

 

This is kind of tough since people have already recommended several games from my backlog, haha. (Celeste, Chicory, Detroit: Become Human, Disco Elysium, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Life is Strange: True Colors, Oxenfree, Returnal, & What Remains of Edith Finch).

 

Ideally, I'd like a game that really digs into the mental health or mental illness aspect with some nuance either via narrative or via game mechanic. I'm kind of intrigued at using Returnal, since I wasn't aware that it was a good candidate for this event. Cassylvania's recent review of Detroit: Become Human has renewed my wanting to play that game as well. Then Disco Elysium is another thought, but part of me wants to try to pick a game that isn't already going to have a write-up done on it. Later tonight or tomorrow I'll go through the previous two years and see if anything from my backlog hasn't already been done (and save me from some indecisiveness, lmao).

 

Part 2 - Outdoors Bonus Theme:

 

I recently downloaded Sable onto my PS5 to tackle for another event. Since exploration seems to be a big aspect of the game I've kept myself mostly blind to it, but I know that the sand-gliding traversal mechanic is supposed to be a big part of the gameplay. If anyone who's played the game already can confirm that it would work for the bonus theme, that would be wonderful! If it would be a bit of a stretch, then please let me know, as I have many games in my backlog to pick from.

Yes please on the badge part! I'll PM you with some ideas next weekend and maybe you can get a jump on it (and hand them out as people complete them if you want! It may draw some new people to the event). This is a big relief for me too. I was stressing out a bit that I'd have to make them myself, and I'm not exactly an editing pro.

 

Also, thank you so much for sharing your story. I feel like the first year I hosted it, a lot of people shared their personal stories, and I think it really added to the awareness part of the event. It helps show that a lot of people deal with it on a daily basis, and we're likely unaware of others that struggle with their mental health (here in the community and in our lives outside of PSNP). I feel like that was really missing last year, and this year too. I know it takes a lot of courage to share that especially with how society as a whole views mental health as a "weakness." I'm from the Midwest too so I'm well aware of the views of mental health as a whole in the US and the lack of institutions (in fact, I mentioned early that the one in my city closed down over COVID). I do think it's getting better to an extent in terms of awareness, but I think we still have a ways to go.

 

I do force people to reflect on mental health and how it's portrayed in video games specifically for the awareness part so you were spot on! (I'm glad some understands my genius ).

 

I think games are an amazing media to help others understand mental health as games have that interactive piece to it. I recently played Doki Doki Literature Club, and it blew me away. The way mental health is portrayed in the game was very well done, and definitely adds to the awareness part of it. It forces you to pick a choice that hurts someone suffering from depression and is just so well done. You're absolutely oblivious to it (at least I was) and the signs were all there. I just can't imagine it being as impactful as a movie, book, short video, manga, etc.

 

Anyways, thanks again for participating and volunteering for badges!

[MissShake]

I finished a game for this event!

 

 

There's quite a few examples of characters that deal with mental health struggles in this game, so I'll do my best to keep this brief. (And not go TOO far into spoiler territory.)

 

I think the best way to go into this post is to talk about just one character and let the rest be so that anyone who might play this game (and you should, it's excellent) doesn't get spoiled on too much. The main premise of this game is that you play as Sol, who is part of a group of people that land on an alien planet after fleeing from earth. You play through ten years of their life, doing your best to survive and learn as much as you can about Vertumna IV.

 

About halfway through the story another group of humans lands on Vertumna, and one of the characters from that group is Vace. This guy is an absolute ass, he's a complete bully to everyone he meets, and quite frankly he is the toughest character to befriend. (Each main character has a trophy tied to them, and to get it you have to have them at max hearts. I had to restart for the Vace trophy more times than I'd like to admit.) This only gets worse when your character hits seventeen years old, because it's at this point that Vace dates one of your childhood friends. Let's just say it's not a very healthy relationship for either party.

 

To get the best ending for Vace (and pop that trophy) you have to break him up with Anemone. How you go about breaking them up can vary, but the only way to get the trophy is to convince him that he needs therapy. This is where you find out why he's like this: in a world where space travel is a possibility, you need soldiers, and in this universe they have literally bred children for this role. To make things even worse, Vace's mother left and his dad seems to have taken this out on him. He says that he believes his bullying is a form of controlling others through fear, since clearly he does not really have a sense of stability in his life or even a choice as to what he can do with his life. I like the fact that to get any sense of a good ending for this character you have to make sure he tries therapy, this character's issues run too deep to just "grow out of them" so I think it's the most appropriate path for Vace.

 

What I really love about Exocolonist is that even with all of the explanation of why Vace is the way he is, it never feels like the game is saying that every bully deserves forgiveness immediately. According to the epilogues it takes upwards of ten years for him to gain forgiveness from one of the characters he's particularly nasty to, so he has to actively work to be a better person every day. I do think it could've been interesting if maybe there were endings where maybe some characters don't forgive Vace even after all of the work he does on himself though. Sometimes people don't get forgiveness, and that's just how life works.

 

Anyway, that's just part of what makes Exocolonist so interesting. There are even better examples of mental health struggles in this game that I didn't go into like the story of Tangent or my absolute favorite character Dys's issues or even Anemone's struggles, but this is a good enough taste of why this game works for this event. Please give Exocolonist a play! It's excellent and incredibly underrated

[GuitaristZag]

Almost forgot about this, can't ruin the streak! Count me in, thanks for doing it yet again!

 

Also, some recommendations:

Neo: The World Ends With You

 

What Remains of Edith Finch

 

The Last of Us: Part II

 

Life is Strange

 

Life is Strange: Before the Storm

Edited May 7, 2023 by GuitaristZag
Recs

[s68sc]

@Beyondthegrave07I choose The Caligula Effect because every single character has some sort of trauma and mental problem but I don't know if is good for this 

[Beyondthegrave07]

13 minutes ago, s68sc said:

@Beyondthegrave07I choose The Caligula Effect because every single character has some sort of trauma and mental problem but I don't know if is good for this 

As long as it's thought provoking enough where you can explain what the characters are going through, it counts.

 

I'm very lenient on what counts because the point of the event is to get you to think about it and reflect on it so as long as you are doing that, I will count it. 

 

I just don't want people to be stretching and BS something to make it work. I've never seen anyone do this the past two years so you are probably okay. @GuitaristZag did something a little different last year, but his choice was due to his personal mental health benefits and shared his struggles and how the game helped him personally. 100% okay with that, but that's more of the exception than the general rule (I see you reading this... I still remember, haha).

 

My thoughts are if you are having a hard time typing up a paragraph because there's not much substance to it, then maybe it's best to use something else.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Beyondthegrave07

[Breakingthegreen]

16 minutes ago, Beyondthegrave07 said:

As long as it's thought provoking enough where you can explain what the characters are going through, it counts.

 

I'm very lenient on what counts because the point of the event is to get you to think about it and reflect on it so as long as you are doing that, I will count it. 

 

So I've just done Gris, (I'll do a proper write up when the bonus game is done too,) but I though it didn't tackle mental health discussions nearly as well as many games that I've played. Is it okay to have my paragraph be sort of contrarian compared with other reviews and discuss why I didn't think think it was as good?

[Beyondthegrave07]

6 minutes ago, breakingthegreen said:

 

So I've just done Gris, (I'll do a proper write up when the bonus game is done too,) but I though it didn't tackle mental health discussions nearly as well as many games that I've played. Is it okay to have my paragraph be sort of contrarian compared with other reviews and discuss why I didn't think think it was as good?

Yeah, I've seen people write up criticisms before. This is fine. It'll probably lead to some interesting discussion too.

[DrBloodmoney]

Season: A Letter to the Future

 

 

So, I wasn't quite sure if this one would actually qualify for the main event here - the perils of committing to a game based on it's themes, before you know it's themes! - but playing it, two things became apparent.

 

(note-  these are unformed thoughts - I finished the game yesterday, and haven't done a real "review" yet!)

 

 

_________

 

 

 

Firstly, I don't think the game delved into issues of mental health in a traditional sense - certainly not in the specific or pointed ways that some other games folks will play for this event (or that I did in previous years.)

 

Secondly, that while I do appreciate quite a few elements of the game, I don't think it's wholly successful in all it's aims.

 

 

....Having said that, there is some meat on the bone for discussion - in two areas.

 

 

Firstly, I think one area the game does explore in some interesting ways, is the relationship between memory, pain, death and renewal, and the different ways in which differing approaches to those things manifest in people.

 

The world in which Season takes place is distinctly different from ours. There is some indication that the world is actually our, or some version of ours, but far in the future - after the "Age of Modernity" has ended, a great, lengthly and ultimately futile war has been fought, and the world has entered a period of relative tranquil... which, the main character knows is now coming to a close, as the world is poised to enter a new "season", heralded by the coming flooding of a populated valley.

 

She lives in a village that is somewhat removed from the passage of these seasons - it seems relatively safe from the coming changes, sitting high above the valley, and not in danger from the coming flood, however, her village is also - likely as a result of being somewhat removed from the dangers of the seasonal changes, and as a result, being rather insular and removed from the larger world - rather obsessed with memory.

She wants to document life as it exists in the valley now, before the change, for posterity, and sets out on her bicycle, armed with a camera, a sound recorder, and a scrapbook to do just that.

 

Gameplay-wise, Season is fairly simple - the player explores the valley, photographs its various areas, records whatever snippets of it, and of life within it that the player sees fit, and enters them into slowly populating pages in the scrapbook.

As they travel around, they are simultaneously learning about life within the valley, and the different forces that have left their influence on the current season, but even as they learn, they are also making choices about which elements to record for the future generations. Each area has a single double-sided page to be filled, and there is not a huge amount of available space. the player cannot record everything - they have to choose which elements they think are important, and focus on them.

 

This idea of choosing what to remember - and what to forget - is the real theme of the whole game. 

 

The main character is a true "outside observer". She is documenting a place and people she has never really been connected to, outside of some snippets of information... and so is learning of a time and place, right on the cusp of it ending. Her outsider status helps us as the player - of course - since we are learning about this world alongside here, but more than that, it allows her to be "us" when encountering people in the valley. 

 

Various characters are encountered throughout - and each has a somewhat different angle to view this relationship between memory, pain and loss.

• An artist who feels she has wasted her life making meaningless art... yet is fascinated with the idea that her work - however dismissive she is of it - might be retained beyond the Season and hand in a museum as a result of the player's scrapbook.
• A widow who must leave the valley with her young son, and has to choose which artefacts of her life to bring with her - the things that remind her of her youth, or her late husband, or that might be most treasured by her son.
• Her child, who remembers his father mostly as an already fading memory, worried that he will not be able to hold onto his memory once he is removed from the places those memories live.
• A hippie monk, who never really completed his training, but is the last of his line left, and the only one who remembers that he might actually be a fraud.
• An organisation called the Grey Hands, who usher in progress, and want to cleanse the valley of painful memories, and are actually ushering in the new season, by purposefully blowing a crumbing dam - trying to create order from the chaos, by controlling the timing of the seasonal change.

Each of these characters is used to look at the ways in which memory can be both a burden, and a blessing - and that leads to the final encounter.

 

It becomes apparent during the story, that in this world, people's memories are actually wiped away with the renewal of the season. 

The scrapbook becomes something more interesting, as it is, therefore, the only "memories" the main character will actually retain once she is "wiped" of her memories... and so the specific elements of this world the player chooses to retain will form her entire personality post-season change. 

 

 

 

While I don't think every element of the narrative works perfectly, I do think there is something to be said here about the act of holding on to painful memories, vs. letting go of them, and while that doesn't necessarily have an enormous amount of direct "one-feeling to one-character" connection to mental health, I do think it's an interesting avenue to explore.

 

Some mental health issues - specifically PTSD and Post-Trauma issues - are treated - at the most basic level - by trying to allow the person to be able to remember the traumatic event, without re-living it. To remember the event, but not to carry the immediate and the emotional trauma of it with that memory. 

In some sense, that is exactly the thesis of the game - that emotional memories can be a burden as well as a blessing, and being able to be selective about what we choose to remember of something is not just about rose-tinting the past, but is a necessary part of moving forward into a future. 

 

 

 

Secondly, I'd also argue that the simple premise of the game could work as much as a tool for mental wellness as any game. 

The process of playing a non-violent, beautiful looking game (and it really is beautiful to explore - like a cell-shaded, Studio-Ghibli-stylised Proteus,) and choosing what elements to record in an equally beautiful scrapbook, all the while delving into a discussion of the nature of memory, loss, and renewal, is, in itself, a beneficial thing.

 

The game doesn't force the player's hand in terms of what to record really - some elements are more "poignant" than other - and fill the "scrapbook meter" faster than others, but virtually every photo taken will fill it up, and there is a genuinely soothing element to both filling out the scrapbook, and to the simple actuations of exploring on the bicycle. 

 

 

_____________

 

 

Anyways, that's where I came out!

 

Possibly not the most apropos game for the event, in the end, but playing it as part of this event, and with this event in mind, it did at least stir up some thoughts along the way, and while I don't think I'd make the argument that Season" A Letter to the Future is deliberately aiming at PTSD and Trauma therapy as its central thesis, I do think it gets some of the way towards those ideas, by hook or by crook!

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by DrBloodmoney

[BeesTrophies]

Sign me up ?

[GuitaristZag]

2 hours ago, Beyondthegrave07 said:

As long as it's thought provoking enough where you can explain what the characters are going through, it counts.

 

I'm very lenient on what counts because the point of the event is to get you to think about it and reflect on it so as long as you are doing that, I will count it. 

 

I just don't want people to be stretching and BS something to make it work. I've never seen anyone do this the past two years so you are probably okay. @GuitaristZag did something a little different last year, but his choice was due to his personal mental health benefits and shared his struggles and how the game helped him personally. 100% okay with that, but that's more of the exception than the general rule (I see you reading this... I still remember, haha).

 

My thoughts are if you are having a hard time typing up a paragraph because there's not much substance to it, then maybe it's best to use something else.

Honestly I'm touched that it made enough of an impact that you remember, lol.

 

Also, favorite tracks are Smell of the Game, Disaster of Passion, In the Name of Heaven, and Roar of the Spark.

[pelagia14]

On 5/6/2023 at 8:14 PM, Beyondthegrave07 said:

Yes please on the badge part! I'll PM you with some ideas next weekend and maybe you can get a jump on it (and hand them out as people complete them if you want! It may draw some new people to the event). This is a big relief for me too. I was stressing out a bit that I'd have to make them myself, and I'm not exactly an editing pro.

 

Also, thank you so much for sharing your story. I feel like the first year I hosted it, a lot of people shared their personal stories, and I think it really added to the awareness part of the event. It helps show that a lot of people deal with it on a daily basis, and we're likely unaware of others that struggle with their mental health (here in the community and in our lives outside of PSNP). I feel like that was really missing last year, and this year too. I know it takes a lot of courage to share that especially with how society as a whole views mental health as a "weakness." I'm from the Midwest too so I'm well aware of the views of mental health as a whole in the US and the lack of institutions (in fact, I mentioned early that the one in my city closed down over COVID). I do think it's getting better to an extent in terms of awareness, but I think we still have a ways to go.

 

I do force people to reflect on mental health and how it's portrayed in video games specifically for the awareness part so you were spot on! (I'm glad some understands my genius ).

 

I think games are an amazing media to help others understand mental health as games have that interactive piece to it. I recently played Doki Doki Literature Club, and it blew me away. The way mental health is portrayed in the game was very well done, and definitely adds to the awareness part of it. It forces you to pick a choice that hurts someone suffering from depression and is just so well done. You're absolutely oblivious to it (at least I was) and the signs were all there. I just can't imagine it being as impactful as a movie, book, short video, manga, etc.

 

Anyways, thanks again for participating and volunteering for badges!

 

I've already got an idea for one detail, but I definitely do best with collaboration so I'm excited to discuss the badges further with you via PM! 

 

I'm glad that my story wasn't too long-winded and rambly... I looked at the length of my post when I was all done and almost reconsidered it, but felt it was important to highlight how helpful fundraising and awareness can be. Thanks for mentioning that the first year held a lot of stories - I went back and read through all of them. And hello, fellow Midwesterner! I'm from Michigan, aka "the Northern Midwest" aka "haters say we don't count as the Midwest", lol. I grew up in Metro-Detroit, and now I live in the western side of the state. It was truly shocking at first to see the monopoly that one medical group has over mental health services out here! It also doesn't help that they are literally called "[Medical Monopoly] Christian Mental Health Services" (even in their logo!), making it even more awkward for non-Christians or non-religious folk like myself.

 

Also! I'm delighted to see that no one has picked Returnal in previous years, so that will be my game! 

 

17 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Season: A Letter to the Future

 

So, I wasn't quite sure if this one would actually qualify for the main event here - the perils of committing to a game based on it's themes, before you know it's themes! - but playing it, two things became apparent.

 

(note-  these are unformed thoughts - I finished the game yesterday, and haven't done a real "review" yet!)

_________

 

Anyways, that's where I came out!

 

Possibly not the most apropos game for the event, in the end, but playing it as part of this event, and with this event in mind, it did at least stir up some thoughts along the way, and while I don't think I'd make the argument that Season" A Letter to the Future is deliberately aiming at PTSD and Trauma therapy as its central thesis, I do think it gets some of the way towards those ideas, by hook or by crook!

 

I've been curious about this game ever since I learned of it, so I really appreciated reading your initial impressions of it! Can't wait to read your full review and ranking when that's completed. ?

 

Also, I'd argue that the game is very appropriate for this event! I love games that approach mental health in a serious and complex way as a main theme. But sometimes I want to play something that deals with less heavy aspects of the topic, or deals with mental health but not as a primary theme. 

 

17 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

In some sense, that is exactly the thesis of the game - that emotional memories can be a burden as well as a blessing, and being able to be selective about what we choose to remember of something is not just about rose-tinting the past, but is a necessary part of moving forward into a future. 

Your line right here makes me think that this game would be a great experience for anyone who is trying to move on from something - whether it be traumatic memories or the death of a loved one. It seems like it would provide some low-key catharsis without being very emotionally taxing.

 

[Breakingthegreen]

It's a bank holiday today in the UK so I spent a whole bunch of the day getting the bonus game completed, and I'm now gonna rush my write up because I put garlic bread in the oven, using it as a timer, anyway the first game about mental health:

 

Gris (PS5) - (51.68%)

 

So, Gris is a very aesthetically pretty platformer with a glorious soundtrack that you should absolutely consider playing it just for that. But this event demands that I talk about the mental health aspect of the game, and I have a few things that I want to say given the story.

 

Gris' story is non-verbal and uses symbolism to tell a story of a woman going through the five stages of grief and that's everything I can be 100% certain of. And that's my major problem with it, the story is deliberately designed to be open to interpretation which fuels discussion. But this the add on effect of leaving a story which either means everything and at the same time very little. If I were to guess the game is about depression, but without an interview I cannot be 100% sure. But even with a guess like that, it seems like the it can't fit because the resolution seemed to come to easily. Unless the shooting stars symbolised antidepressants, I couldn't tell you how they helped.

 

It's a matter of trying to symbolise to a lot of different mental health issues, which makes the story feel impersonal, there's no story of how the grief has ruined this persons life other than her feeling sad. I personally like stories that feel like someone had something profound to say.

Celeste's story was very personal, it taught breathing techniques and  it's symbolism told the story the character was going through. Gris only has the final part in my opinion.

 

So just as a final word on this games depiction of mental health, it's not that Gris says anything wrong or badly, the issue is that the game isn't brave enough to say much of anything at all. But at least it does it beautifully

 

 

Second game now for out door activities:

 

Sayonara Wild Hearts (EU) - (24.44%)

 

This one could also be used for the first game if I'm honest; Sayonara Wild Hearts is a rhythm runner game like Road 96 Mile 0 (which didn't cause me to buy this, but it did remind me that I hadn't bought Sayonara yet.)

 

Sayonara is about a heart broken woman who gains symbolic powers that leads her to travel and never stop, she skateboards, she boats, she drives a convertible in the desert, but she mostly uses the objectively coolest way to escape your problem: Motorbike. 

I'm gonna put some spoilers in this tab now:

Spoiler

The non-violence may not be evident by the trophy card, but in the end it's revealed that the bosses that you have been combating, were actually the protaganist's ex-girlfriends, and the protagnist must return their hearts to let them go so she can heal. No more battling, you win by kissing your opponents goodbye. 

 

Going out on the open road has always been very therapeutic for me, even though I can't drive. 

 

It is a lovely game with killer soundtrack, do play it.

 

On 07/05/2023 at 3:14 AM, MissShake said:

I finished a game for this event!

 

 

Please give Exocolonist a play! It's excellent and incredibly underrated

 

Everyone buy it now, it's 20% off until Wednesday and I love this game with all my heart (and watching the views on my guide go up makes my ego swell)